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8/3/2019 Root of Words
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Roots Meaning Sample words and definition
a/n not, without abyss without bottom; achromatic - without color;anhydrous - without water
a on afire - on fire; ashore - on the shore; aside - on the side
ab/s, a from, away,off
abduct - carry away by force; abnormal - away from normal,
not normal; absent - away, not present; aversion - the act
of turning away from; abbreviate: to shorten.
ac, ad to, toward,near
accelerate - to increase the speed of; accessible - easily
entered, approached, or obtained; admittance - allowing
into;
act do activity - something that a person does; react - to dosomething in response; interaction - communication
between two or more things
aer/o air aerate - to let air reach something; aerial - relating to theair; aerospace - the air space
agr/i/o farming agriculture - management of the land, agribusiness -
making money by utilizing land; agrarian - relating tothe management of land
alg/o pain neuralgia - pain caused by a nerve; analgesic - a drug
that makes one pain free; nostalgia - aching for the
familiar
ambi, amphi both, on bothsides, around
ambidextrous - able to use both hands equally; ambiguous -
having more than one meaning; ambivalence - conflicting or
opposite feelings toward a person or thing
ambul walk, move amble - to walk in a slow, relaxed way; ambulant - walkingor moving around; ambulance - a vehicle that moves a
patient
ami/o love amiable - friendly, pleasant, lovable; amity - friendly and
peaceful relations; amorous - showing romantic loveana up, back,
against,
again,
throughout
analysis - a close examination of something; anatomy - the
structure of something as visible when cut up for analysis;
anachronism - not being in the right place in time
andr/o man, male androgynous - being both male and female; android -resembling a human; misandry - hatred towards men
anim life, spirit animal - a living organism; animate - to make alive;equanimity - of balanced spirit
ann/enn year anniversary - a date observed once a year; annual -happening once a year; millennium - 1,000 years
ante before, in
front
antecede - to come before something in time;
antemeridian - before noon; anteroom- a small roombefore the main room
anth/o flower chrysanthemum and amaranth - names of flowers;anthology - a collection of treasured writings; anthozoan -
half plant, half animal, like anemones and corals.
anthrop/o human anthropology - the study of mankind; anthropomorphism -giving human form to non-human things; philanthropy - the
love to mankind (expressed through good deeds)
anti against, antibody - a substance that destroys micro-organisms;
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opposite of antiseptic - preventing infection; antisocial - opposing
social norm
apo, apho away, off,separate
aphorism - a short expression of a general truth; apology -
an explicit expression of regret, apostrophe - a small dash
used in place of an omitted letter
aqu/a water aquarium - a water container for fish; aquatic- relating to
water; aqueduct - a pipeline for waterarbor tree arborist - someone working with trees; arbor - a shady area
formed by trees; arborous - having many trees
arch/i chief, mostimportant,
rule
archbishop - the highest ranking bishop; archenemy - chief
or worst enemy; matriarch - a female who rules a group;
monarch - a king or queen
arch/a/i primitive,ancient
archaeology - the study of ancient cultures; archaic -
belonging to an earlier period; archive - a collection of
historical materials
arthr/o joint arthroscope - a tool to see inside a joint; arthritis -inflammation of a joint; arthropod - invertebrates with
jointed legs, like spiders, crustaceans, insects
art skill artifact - object made by a person's skill; artisan - a personskilled in a craft; artist - a person who creates skillfully
astro,
aster
star, stars,
outer space
astronaut - a person traveling to the stars; astronomer -
someone who studies the stars; asterisk - a star-shaped
sign used as a reference tool
aud/i/io hear audible - loud enough to be heard; audience - people wholisten to a program; audiovisual - relating to sound and
vision
auto self, same,one
autocrat - a person who governs with absolute power;
autograph - a person's own signature; automatic - moving
by itself
avi/a bird aviary - a large enclosure for birds; aviatrix - a femaleairplane pilot; aviation - the art of designing or operating
aircraft
bar/o pressure,weight
baric - pertaining to pressure, esp. of the atmosphere;
milliard - metric unit, equal to 1/1000th of a bar; baryon -
heavy elementary particle
bell/i war bellicose - warlike; belligerent - hostile, ready to fight; rebel- person who opposes and fights
bene good, well benefactor - person who gives money to a cause; beneficial- producing a good effect; benevolent - showing kindness
or goodwill
bi/n two, twice,once in every
two
biannual - happening twice a year; binoculars - optical
device with two lenses; bilateral - of or involving two sides
bibli/o book bibliography - a list of books used as sources; bibliomania -an extreme love of books; bibliophile - a person who loves
books
bio life, livingmatter
biography- a life story written by another person; biology -
the science of life; biosphere - Earth's surface inhabited by
living things
blast/o cell, primitive,immature cell
blastula - an early stage of embryonic development;
fibroblast - a cell that forms connective tissue; blastoderm -
the layer surrounding the inside of an egg
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capt, cept,
ceive
take, hold intercept - to stop or interrupt;perceive - to take notice of
something; captivating - taking hold of
cardi/o heart cardiac - relating to the heart; cardiogenic - resulting fromheart disease; cardiologist - a heart doctor
carn/i flesh, meat carnivorous - flesh-eating; carnal - pertaining to the body orflesh; incarnate - given bodily form
cata down, againstcompletely,
intensive,
according to
cataclysm - a flood or other disaster, catalog - a complete
listing; catastrophe - turning for the worst, a substantial
disaster
caust,
caut
to burn cauterize - to burn with a hot instrument; caustic - capable of
burning or eating away; holocaust - total devastation,
especially by fire
cede,
ceed,
cess
go, yield exceed - to go beyond the limits; recede - to go back;
accessible - easily entered, approached, or obtained;
celer fast accelerate - to increase the speed of; decelerate - to reducethe speed of
cent/i hundred,hundredth
centennial- the 100th anniversary; centimeter - 1/100 of ameter; century - 100 years
centr/o/i center egocentric - self-centered; eccentric - not having acommon center, not according to norm; centrifugal -
moving outward from a center
cephal/o head encephalitis - inflammation of the brain; cephalic -pertaining to the head; cephalopod - marine mollusks like
octopus and squid who have tentacles growing from their
head
cerebr/o brain cerebral - pertaining to the brain; cerebrate - to use thebrain; cerebrospinal - pertaining to the brain and the spinal
cord
cert sure ascertain- to find out something with certainty; certain -being absolutely sure; certify - to state that something istrue
chrom/o
chromat/o
, chros
color, pigment achromatic - without color; chromium - a blue-white
metallic chemical element, chromatics - the study of color
chron/o time chronic - lasting for a long time; chronological - arrangingevents in time order, synchronize - happening at the same
time
chrys/o gold, yellow chrysanthemum and helichrysum - golden/yellow flowers;chrysolite - a yellowish gem
cide, cise cut, kill homicide - murder; incisor - a sharp tooth for cutting food;
insecticide - a chemical used to kill insectscircum,
circle
around, about circumnavigate - to sail around; circumscribe - to draw
around; circumspect - looking around
claim, clam shout, speakout
clamor - to shout and make noise; exclaim - to cry out
loudly and suddenly; proclamation - something announced
officially in public
clar clear clarification - an explanation; clarify - to make somethingclear; declare - to state something clearly
clud, clus close conclusion - the end or last part; exclusion - shutting out,
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rejecting; seclude - to keep away from; to isolate
cline lean inclination - a leaning toward; incline - a surface that slopesor leans; recline - to lean back and relax
co with, together,joint
coauthor - writer who collaborates with another author;
coeducation - educating males and females together;
cohousing - planning your neighborhood in an intentional
neighborly fashioncol together,
jointly
Collaborate - to work together; collision - smashing
together; colloquial - words formed by everday interaction
com together,common
commemorate - to memorize together; composition - an
arrangement or putting together of parts; commune - living
together while owning things in common
cogn/i know cognition - process of acquiring knowledge; incognito -disguised so no one knows you; recognize - to discover that
one knows
con with, jointly concur - to agree with someone; contemporary - ofthe same time period as others; convention - a
gathering of people with a common interest
contra/o against,opposite
contradict to argue against, Contraflow, contraception,contrary not in agreement, controversy disagreement
corp/o body corporation - a company recognized by law as a singlebody; corpse - a dead body; corporal - pertaining to the
body
cosm/o universe cosmonaut - a Russian astronaut; cosmos - the universe;microcosm - a miniature universe
counter opposite, contrary,opposing
counteract - to oppose the effects of an action;
countermand - to cancel a previous order;
counteroffensive - attack against an attack
cranio skull craniology - the study of skull characteristics; cranium - skull ofvertebrates; cranial - pertaining to the skull
cred believe credence - belief that something is true or valid;credulous - believing things too easily, gullible; incredible- unbelievable
crypto hidden, secret cryptic - of hidden meaning; cryptography - science of secretcodes; encrypt - encode into secret code
cumul mass, heap accumulate - to gather or pile up; cumulative - graduallybuilding up
cycl circle, ring bicycle - a vehicle with two wheels; cycle - a sequencethat is repeated; cyclone - a storm with circling winds
de reduce, away, down,remove
decelerate - to slow down, reduce speed; dethrone
- to remove from power; debug - to remove bugs
dec/a,
deka
ten decade - 10 years; decathlon - athletic contest that
includes 10 disciplines in which each participant
competes; December - formerly the 10th month of the
Roman calendar
deci one tenth deciliter - a tenth of a liter; decimate - reducedramatically; decibel - one tenth of the sound volume
unit bel
dem/o people democracy - government of the people; demographic - thestudy of people; epidemic - spreading among people in a
region
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demi half, less than demitasse - a small cup of coffee; demimonde - someone oflittle respected life style
dendr/o/i tree philodendron - a climbing plant that grows on trees;dendrochronology - dating events by studying growth rings in
trees; dendriform - in the shape of a tree
dent, dont tooth dental - relating to teeth; dentist - a doctor for the teeth;
dentures - a set of false teethderm/a skin dermatologist - a doctor for the skin; pachyderm - a class of
animals with very thick skin (elephant, rhinoceros);
dermatitis - inflammation of the skin
di/plo two, twice dichromatic - displaying two colors; diploma - a certificate,literally "a letter folded double"; dilemma - a situation that
requires a choice between two alternatives.
di/s apart, away,not, to the opposite
digression - a departure from the main issue, subject;
disappear - to move out of sight; dissect - to cut apart
piece by piece.
dia through, between,apart, across
diabetes - disease characterized by excessive thirst and
discharge of urine; diagnosis - understanding a
condition by going through a detailed review ofsymptoms; dialog - conversation between two people.
dict speak contradict - to express the opposite of;prediction - a statement foretelling the
future; dictate - to speak out loud for another
person to write down.
domin master dominate - to be the master of; domineering - excessivelycontrolling; predominate - to have more power than others
don/at give donation - a contribution or gift; donor - someone whogives something; pardon - to give forgiveness for an offense
duc/t lead conduct - to lead musicians in playing music; educate - tolead to knowledge; deduction - a subtraction of an amount.
du/o two, twice duplicate - make an identical copy; duet - a musicalcomposition for two voices or instruments; duo - a pair
normally thought of as being together.
dur harden, to last, lasting durable - having the quality of lasting; duration -the length of time something lasts; enduring - able
to last.
dyn/a/am power, energy, strength dynamo - a generator of energy; dynamic -having physical energy/power; dynamite - a
powerful explosive.
dys abnormal, bad dyspepsia - abnormal indigestion; dystopia - an imaginaryplace of total misery; dyslexia - impairment of the ability to
handle words.
e- out, away eloquent - speaking beautifully and forcefully; emissary -
a representative of a country or group sent on a mission;eject - throw out forcefully.
ego self egoistic - self-centered; alter ego - a higher aspect ofoneself; egomania- excessive preoccupation with oneself
.
em, en into, cover with, cause empathy - intention to feel like another person;empower - put into power; engorge - make larger.
endo within, inside creature that can keep its inside temperature fairly
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constant; endocrine - relating to glands that
secrete directly into the blood or lymph;
endogamy - the custom to marry within one's clan,
tribe etc.
enn/i, anni years bicentennial - of orrelating to an age or
period of 200 years;
centennial - of or
relating to an age or
period of 100 years;
perennial -lasting
through many years.
en, in inside, inwards envision - to picture in the mind; enclose - lockinside; inwards - towards the inside.
ep/i on, upon, over,among, at, after,
to, outside
epidemic - the
rapid spread of
something
negative; epilogue
- a short speech
delivered after a
play; epicenter -
the center of an
earthquake.
equ/i equal, equally equidistant - anequal distance from
two points;
equanimity - calm
temperament,
evenness of temper;
equation - a
statement of
equality.
erg/o work ergonomics - studyof the working
environment;
energy - the power
to accomplish work;
energetics - science
that looks at energy
and its
transformation.
esth/aesth feeling, sensation, beauty esthetician -
someone whobeautifies; aesthetic
- pertaining to a
sense of beauty;
kinesthesia - the
sensation of bodily
movement.
ethno race, people ethnic - pertainingto a defined group
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of people;
ethnocentric -
focusing on the
ethnicity of people;
ethnology - the
science of people
and races.eu good, well euphemism -
replacing an
offensive word with
an inoffensive one;
euphonious - having
a pleasant sound;
euphoria - feeling of
well-being.
ex from, out, excavate - to digout; exhale - to
breathe out; extract
- to pull out.
extra, extro outside, beyond extraordinary -beyond ordinary;
extraterrestrial -
outside the Earth;
extrovert - an
outgoing person.
fac/t make, do artifact - an objectmade by a person;
factory - a place
where things are
made; malefact - a
person who does
wrong.fer bear, bring, carry confer - to bring an
honor to someone;
ferry - a boat that
carries passengers;
transfer - to move to
another place.
fid faith confide - place trustin someone, fidelity
- faithfulness;
fiduciary - a trustee;
flect bend deflect - to bend
course because ofhitting something;
inflection - a
bending in the
voice's tone or
pitch; flexible -
easily bending.
flor/a,
fleur
flower florist - someone
working with
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flowers; floral -
flowerlike; flora -
the plant life of a
particular time or
area
for completely (used to intensify
the meaning of a word)
forsaken or forfeited
- completely lost;forgiven -
completely given (a
release of debt).
fore in front of, previous, earlier forebear - ancestor;forebode - to give
an advance warning
of something bad;
forecast - a preview
of events to be.
fract, frag break fracture - a break;fragile - easy to
break; fragment orfraction - a part or
element of a
larger whole;
fug flee, run away, escape fugitive - a personwho is running
away; refuge - a
sheltered place to
flee to; refugee - a
person seeking
protection
funct perform, work defunct - no longer
working or alive;function - to work or
perform a role
normally;
malfunction - to fail
to work correctly.
fus pour confusion - beingflooded with too
much information
that is hard to make
sense of; fuse - to
melt by heating;
infuse - to put into.
gastr/o stomach gastric - pertainingto the stomach;
gastronomy -
serving the stomach
by providing good
food; gastritis -
inflammation of the
stomach.
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a machine noting
strength and
duration of
earthquakes.
grat pleasing gratify - to pleasesomeone; grateful -
feeling thankful;gratuity - a tip,
token of
appreciation.
gyn/o/e woman, female gynecology - thescience of female
reproductive health;
gynephobia - fear of
women; gynecoid -
resembling a
woman.
gress, grad/e/i to step, to go digression - adeparture from the
main issue, subject,
etc.; progress -
movement forward
or onward; gradual -
step by step.
hect/o, hecat hundred hectoliter - 100liters; hectare -
metric unit equaling
100 ares or 10,000
square meters;
hectometer - 100
meters.
helic/o spiral, circular helicopter - anaircraft with
horizontal rotating
wing; helix - a spiral
form; helicon - a
circular tuba.
heli/o sun heliotropism -movement or
growth in relating to
the sun; heliograph -
apparatus used to
send message with
the help of sunlight;helianthus - genus
of plants including
sunflowers.
hemi half, partial hemicycle - asemicircular
structure;
hemisphere - one
half of the earth;
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hemistich - half a
line of poetry.
hem/o/a blood hemorrhage -clotting of the
blood; hemorrhoids
- swelling of the
blood vessels;hemoglobin - red
blood particle.
hepa liver hepatitis -inflammation of the
liver; hepatoma - a
tumor of the liver;
hepatotoxic - toxic
and damaging to the
liver.
hept/a seven heptagon - a shapewith seven angles
and seven sides;
Heptateuch - the
first seven books of
the Old Testament;
heptameter - a line
of verse consisting
of seven metrical
feet.
herbi grass, plant herbicide - anychemical used to kill
unwanted plants,
etc.; herbivorous -
plant-eating; herbal
- relating to plants.hetero different, other heterogeneous -
made up of
unrelated parts;
heteronyms - words
with same spelling
but different
meanings;
heterodox - not
conforming to
traditional beliefs.
hex/a six hexagon - a shape
with sixangles/sides;
hexameter - a verse
measured in six;
hexapod - having six
legs.
histo tissue histology - study ofthe microscopic
structure of tissues;
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histochemistry -
study of the
chemical
constitution of cells
and tissues.
homo,
homeo
like, alike, same homogeneous - of
the same nature orkind; homonym -
sounding alike;
homeopath - a
therapy that is
based on treating
"same with same"
hydr/o liquid, water hydrate - to addwater to;
hydrophobia -
intense fear of
water; hydroponics -
growing plants in
liquid nutrient
solution; hydraulic -
operated by force
created by a liquid.
hygr/o moisture, humidity hygrometer - toolused to measure
humidity;
hygrograph -
instrument for
recording variations
in atmospheric
humidity.
hyper too much, over,excessive, beyond
hyperactive - veryrestless;
hypercritical - too
critical;
hypertension -
above normal
pressure.
hyp/o under hypoglycemia - anabnormally low level
of sugar in the
blood; hypothermia
- abnormally low
body temperature;
hypothesis - a
theory that is
unproven but used
under the
assumption that it is
true.
iatr/o medical care geriatrics - medicalcare of the elderly;
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pediatrician - a
doctor who treats
children; podiatry -
medical care for
feet.
icon/o image icon - an (often
religious) image, inmodern usage a
simplified graphic of
high symbolic
content; iconology -
science of symbols
and icons; iconoclast
- someone who
destroys religious
images and
traditional beliefs.
idio peculiar, personal, distinct idiomatic - Peculiarto a particular
language;
idiosyncracy - a
physical or mental
characteristic typical
or a particular
person; idiot -
someone who is
distinctly foolish or
stupid.
il, in in, into illuminate - to give
light to;
innovation - a new
idea, method, or
device; inspection
- the act of
examining or
reviewing.
ig, il, im,
in, ir
not, without illegal - not legal;
impossible - not
possible;
inappropriate -
not appropriate;
irresponsible - not
responsible.imag likeness image - a likeness of
someone;
imaginative - able to
think up new ideas
or images; imagine -
to form a picture or
likeness in the mind.
infra beneath, below infrastructure -
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underlying
framework of a
system; infrared -
below the regular
light spectrum.
inter between, among, jointly international -involving two or
more countries;
intersection - place
where roads come
together; intercept -
to stop or interrupt
the course of.
intra,
intro
within, inside intrastate - existing
in one state;
intravenous - inside
or into a vein;
introvert - shy
person who keepswithin him/herself.
ir not irredeemable - notredeemable;
irreformable - not
reformable;
irrational - not
rational.
iso equal isobar - a line on amap connecting
points of equal
barometric
pressure; isometric -
having equality of
measure; isothermal
- having equal or
constant
temperature.
ject throw eject - to throwsomeone/something
out; interject - to
throw a remark into
a discussion; project
- to cast or throw
something.
jud law judgment - adecision of a court
of law; judicial -
having to do with
judges or courts of
law; judiciary - a
system of courts of
law.
junct join conjunction - a word
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that joins parts of
sentences;
disjunction - a
disconnection;
junction - a place
where two things
join.juven young juvenile - youthful
or childish;
rejuvenate - to bring
back to youthful
strength or
appearance.
kilo thousand kilobyte - 1,000bytes; kilometer -
1,000 meter;
kilograms - 1,000
grams.
kine/t/mat
motion, division kinetics - study of
the force of motion;
psychokinesis or
telekinesis - the
ability to move
objects with your
mind;
cinematography -
motion picture
making.
lab work collaborate - towork with a person;
elaborate - to work
out the details;laborious - requiring
a lot of hard work.
lact/o milk lactate - to givemilk, nurse; lactose -
the sugar contained
in milk; lactic acid.
later side bilateral - of orinvolving two sides;
unilateral - affecting
one side of
something.
leuk/o,leuc/o
white, colorless leukemia - abnormalincrease of white
blood cells in the
blood; leukocyte - a
mature white blood
cell; leucine - a
white, crystalline
amino acid.
lex word, law, reading lexicology - the
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study and history of
words; alexia -loss
of the ability to
read; illegal - not
authorized by the
official rules or laws.
liber free liberate - to set free;libertine - a person
with a free, wild
lifestyle; liberty -
freedom.
lingu language, tongue linguist - one whostudies languages;
multilingual - able to
communicate in
multiple languages;
linguine - long, flat
"tongue-shaped"
pasta.
lip/o fat liposuction - themechanical removal
of fat reserves in the
tissue; lipase -
enzyme that breaks
down fat; lipoid -
resembling fat.
lite, ite,
lith/o
mineral, rock, fossil apatite - a group of
common minerals;
granite - a hard,
granular rock;
monolith - a
remarkable, uniquestone.
loc place dislocate - to putsomething out of its
usual place; location
- a place; relocate -
to move to a new
place.
log/o word, doctrine, discourse logic - correctreasoning;
monologue - a long
speech by one
speaker;analogy -similarity, especially
between things
otherwise dissimilar.
loqu, locu speak eloquent - speakingbeautifully and
forcefully ;
loquacious - very
talkative; elocution -
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art of public
speaking.
luc light elucidate - toexplain, to throw
light on; lucid -
easily understood,
giving off light;translucent -
allowing light
through.
lud, lus to play prelude -introduction to the
major performance;
illusion - misleading
optical image or
impression; delude -
to mislead, deceive.
lumin light illuminate - to fillwith light; lumen -
unit measuring light.
lun/a/i moon lunar - relating tothe moon;
lunarscape - the
surface of the
moon; lunatic -
insane (as if driven
mad by the moon).
macro large, great macroevolution -large scale
evolution;
macromolecule - a
large molecule;macroeconomics -
study of the overall
forces of economy.
magn/a/i great, large magnify - makelarger; magnificent -
grand; magnate - a
powerful person,
especially in
business or industry.
mal/e bad, ill, wrong malcontent - wrongcontent; malaria -
"bad air", infectiousdisease thought to
originate from the
"bad air" of the
swamps, but caused
by the bite of an
infected mosquito;
malicious - showing
strong ill will.
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man/i/u hand maneuver - to moveby hand; manual -
done with the
hands; manuscript -
a book written by
hand.
mand to order command - an orderor instruction;
demand - a hard-to-
ignore order;
mandate - an official
order.
mania madness, insanity,excessive desire
bibliomania - a crazy
love of books;
egomania - a mad
love of oneself;
maniac an insane
person.
mar/isea marina - a harbor for
pleasure boats;
maritime - relating
to the sea;
submarine - an
undersea boat;
aquamarine - color
of sea water.
mater,
matr/i
mother maternal - relating
to motherhood;
maternity - the state
of being a mother;
matriarch - a
woman head of ahousehold.
max greatest maximal - the bestor greatest possible;
maximize - to make
as great as possible;
maximum - the
greatest amount.
medi middle medieval -pertaining to the
Middle Ages;
medium - in the
middle; mediocre -
only of medium(inferior) quality.
mega great, large, million megalopolis - anarea with many
nearby cities;
megaphone - a
device that projects
a loud voice;
megastructure -
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huge building or
other structure.
melan/o black melancholy - a stateof dark emotions;
melanoma -
malignant dark
tumor of the skin;melodrama - a dark,
pathetic drama.
memor/i remember commemorate - tohonor the memory
of, as by a
ceremony;
memorial - related
to remembering a
person or event;
memory: an ability
to retain knowledge
or an individual's
stock of retained
knowledge.
merge,
mers
dip, dive immerge or
immerse - to put or
dip something into a
liquid; submerge to
dip something
completely into
wate.r
meso middle Mesoamerica -Middle America;
meson - elementary
particle with a massbetween an electron
and a proton.
meta change, after, beyond, between metaphysics - studyof nature and
reality;
metamorphosis - a
complete change of
form; metastasis -
the transmission of
disease to other
parts of the body.
meter,metr/ymeasure audiometer- aninstrument that
measures hearing
acuteness;
chronometer- an
instrument that
measures time;
metric - measured.
micro very small, short, minute microbe - a very
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small living thing;
microchip - a tiny
wafer with an
integrated circuit;
microscope - a
device to see very
small things.mid middle midriff - the area
between the chest
and the waist;
midterm - middle of
a term in school;
midway - halfway
between.
migr move immigrant - aperson who moves
to a new country to
settle; migrant -
person who moves
from place to place;
migration - the
process of moving.
milli onethousandth millimeter - onethousandth of a
meter; millibar - one
thousandth of a bar;
milliliter - one
thousandth of a
liter.
min/i small, less mini - somethingthat is very small;
minuscule -extremely tiny;
minutiae - very
small or trivial
details.
mis/o bad, badly, wrong, wrongly,to hate
misbehave - to
behave badly;
misprint - an error in
printing; misnomer -
an error in naming a
person or thing.
miss, mit send, let go dismiss - to send
someone away;missile - a weapon
sent into the air;
emit - to send
something out;
admittance - entry.
mob move immobilize - to stopfrom moving;
mobile - able to
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move freely;
mobility - the quality
of being able to
move.
mon/o one, single, alone monochromat -having one color;
monologue - aspeech spoken by
one person;
monotheism - belief
in one god.
mot, mov move motion - the act ofmoving; motivate -
to move someone to
action; promote to
move someone
forward; removable
- able to be taken or
carried away.
morph/o form metamorphosis -complete change of
form; endorphins -
chemical in the
brain able to
transform pain;
amorphous -
without distinct
shape or form.
mort death immortal - livingforever, unable to
die; mortal - certain
to die; mortician -an undertaker.
multi many, more than one or two multicolored -having many colors;
multimedia - using a
range of media;
multitasking - doing
many things at once.
mut change immutable - notchanging; mutant -
an organism that
has undergone
change; mutate - toundergo a change.
my/o muscle myocardium - themiddle muscle of
the heart;
myasthenia - muscle
fatigue or weakness;
myosin - common
protein in muscle
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tissue.
narr tell narrate - to tell astory; narrative - a
story; narrator - a
person who tells a
story.
nat born innate - includedsince birth; natal -
relating to birth;
natural - gotten at
birth, not afterward.
nav ship circumnavigate - tosail around a place;
naval - relating to a
navy or warships;
navigate - to sail a
ship through a
place.
necr/odead, death necrophil - loving
death; necrosis - the
death of tissue due
to disease or injury;
necrology - a list of
persons who have
recently died.
neg no negate - to say itdidn't happen;
negative - meaning
"no"; renege - to go
back on a promise.
neo new, recent neoclassic - a revival
of classic form,neocolonialism - the
indirect ("new")
economical and
political control of a
region by a more
powerful foreign
power; neonatal - a
newborn child,
especially the first
few weeks.
nephr/o kidney nephritis -
inflammation of thekidneys;
nephrotomy -
surgical incision of a
kidney; nephron - a
single, excretory
unit in the kidney.
neur/o nerve neuralgia - painalong a nerve;
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neurologist - doctor
specializing in the
nerves; neurotic -
mental disorder that
usually does not
include an impaired
perception ofreality.
nom/in name misnomer - an errorin naming a person
or thing; nominal -
being something in
name only but not
in reality; nominate
- to name for
election or
appointment, to
designate.
non
no, not, without nondescript - with
no special
characteristics;
nonfiction - true,
real, not made-up;
nonsense - without
sense.
not mark notable - marked asworthy of attention;
notarize - to certify
a signature on a
legal document;
annotate - to add
remarks.noun,
nunc
declare announce - to
declare in public;
denounce - to
proclaim harsh
criticism; enunciate
- to speak or declare
something clearly.
nov new innovate - tointroduce a new
way; novelty -
something new;
novice - a person
who is new at a job;
renovate - to make
something like new
again.
numer number enumerate - toname a number of
items on a list;
numerology - the
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study of magical
uses of numbers;
numerous - a large
number.
ob, op in the way, against object - to beagainst
something;obscure - hard to
understand;
opposition - the
act of resistance
or action against.
oct/a/o eight octagon - a figurewith 8 sides and 8
angles; octogenarian
- person in his or her
80s; octopus - sea
animal with 8 arms.
ocu eye binoculars - lensdevice for seeing
distances; monocula
- relating to one eye;
oculist - an eye
doctor.
omni all omnipotent - withall the power;
omniscient -
knowing all things;
omnivorous eating
all foods.
op/t/s eye, visual condition, sight optic - relating tothe eyes; optician - a
person who fits
eyeglasses; autopsy
- the examination of
a dead body.
opt best optimal - the best,the most desirable;
optimize - to make
the best of;
optimum - the best
something could be.
ortho straight orthodontist - adentist that
straightens teeth;
orthopedic - a
doctor concerned
with the proper
alignment of the
bones; orthography
- the correct way of
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writing.
osteo bone osteoarthritis -inflammation
caused by
degeneration of the
joints; osteopathy -
therapy that usesamong others
manipulation of the
skeleton to restore
health; osteology -
the study of bones.
out goes beyond,surpasses, exceeds
Outgoing - being of
lively, sharing
nature; outdoing -
doing better than;
outdoor - outside.
over excessive overconfident -more confident than
is appropriate;
overstock - more
supplies than is
desirable;
overexcited - ,more
excited than one
should be.
oxy sharp oxymoron -combining two ideas
that sharply
contradict each
other; oxydize -
corrode a surface.pale/o ancient paleontology - study
of ancient fossils;
paleography - the
study of ancient
forms of writing;
Paleolithic - period
of the Stone Age.
pan all, any, everyone panacea - a cure forall diseases or
problems;
panorama - an all-
around view;pantheism - the
worship of all gods;
pandemic - affecting
all.
para beside, beyond, abnormal,assistant
parasite - an
organism that lives
on and off another
living being; parallel
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- alongside and
always an equal
distance apart;
paragraph - a
portion of a
writtenn document
that presents adistinct idea.
para protection from parachute -protection from
falling; parasol - an
umbrella used to
protect from the
sun;
pater,
patr/i
father paternal - relating to
fathers; paternity -
fatherhood;
patriarch - a man
who rules a group.
path feeling, emotion antipathy - a feelingof great dislike;
apathy - a lack of
feeling or interest;
empathy - ability to
understand
another's feelings.
ped/i/e foot, feet pedal - a leverpushed by the foot;
pedestrian - one
who walks; pedicure
- cosmetic
treatment of feetand toes.
pel drive, force compel - to forcesomeone to act;
expel - to drive
someone out of a
place; repel - to
force back.
pent/a five pentagon - shapehaving 5 angles and
5 sides, pentagram -
a five-pointed star
formerly used as asymbolic figure in
magic; pentathlon -
an athletic contest
that includes five
events.
pept,
peps
digestion dyspepsia -
abnormal digestion;
peptic - aiding
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digestion; pepsin - a
digestive enzyme.
per through, throughout permanent - lastingthroughout all time;
permeate - to
spread throughout;
persist - to continuefor a long time;
perennial - lasting
through many years.
peri around, enclosing periodontal -pertaining to bone
and tissue around a
tooth; peripheral -
lying outside of the
center; perimeter -
the outer boundary
of an area.
phag/eto eat esophagus -
muscular tube that
carries food to the
stomach;
anthropophagy or
sarcophagy -
cannibalism;
xylophagous -
feeding on wood.
phil/o love, friend philanthropist - onewho loves
humanity; philology
- the love of words;
philosophy - thelove of wisdom;
bibliophil - loving
books.
phon/o
/e/y
sound cacophony - loud,
unpleasant sounds;
microphone - a
device that records
and amplifies sound;
phonetic - relating
to human speech
sounds.
phot/o light photogenic - causedby light; photograph- image made on
light-sensitive film;
photon - the
smallest possible
unit of light.
phyll/o leaf chlorophyll - a groupof green pigments
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found in leaves;
phyllotaxis - the
arrangement of
leaves on a stem;
phyllite - a rock that
forms sheets, similar
to slate.phys nature, medicine, the body physical - relating to
the body; physician -
a doctor; physique -
nature and shape of
one's body.
phyt/o/e plant, to grow epiphyte - a plantgrowing
independently on
the surface of
another; hydrophyte
- a plant that grows
only in water;
neophyte - a
beginner, especially
a person recently
converted to a new
belief.
plas/t/m to form, development,forming cells
protoplasm -
something that is
the first made or
formed, also the
living portion of a
cell; plastic - able to
be formed,
especially whenwarm; plaster - a
mixture of lime,
sand and water that
forms a smooth
solid covering for
walls.
pneum/o breathing, lung, air, spirit pneumonia -inflammation of the
lungs; pneumatic -
using the force of
air; dyspnea -
difficulty breathing.
pod/e foot podiatrist - a doctorfor the feet; podium
- a small platform to
stand on; tripod - a
stand or frame with
3 legs.
poli city metropolis - a largecity; police - people
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who work for the
government to
maintain order in a
city; politics -
actions of a
government or
political party.poly many, more than one polychrome - with
many colors;
polyglot - a person
fluent in many
languages; polygon -
shape with 3 or
more straight sides.
pon place, put opponent - a personwho places
him/herself against
an action, idea, etc.;
postpone - to put off
doing something.
pop people popular - appealingto a lot of people;
population - all of
the people who live
in a particular area;
populist - a
supporter of the
rights of people.
port carry export - to carrygoods out of a place
to another; portable
- able to be carried;porter - a person
who carries luggage.
pos place, put deposit - to place ordrop something;
expose to place out
into the open for all
to see; position - the
place where
someone is.
post after, behind posthumous - aftersomeone's death;
postpone - to delaysomething;
postscript - an
addition to an
already completed
document.
pre earlier, before, in front of preamble - a part infront of a formal
document; prepare -
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to get ready in
advance; prediction
- a statement
foretelling the
future.
pro before, in front of,
for, forward
prognosis - a
prediction of whatwill happen;
prologue - a passage
before the main
part; prophet - a
person who foretells
the future.
prot/o primitive, first, chief prototype - the firstof a kind; proton -
on of the very basic
parts of an atom;
protocol - a first
draft from which a
document is
prepared.
pseud/o wrong,false pseudonym - afictitious name;
pseudoscience -
theories presumed
without proof of a
scientific nature;
pseudopregnancy -
a false pregnancy.
psych/o mind, mental psyche - the humanspirit or soul;
psychic - relating tothe human mind or
someone who has
supernatural mental
abilities; psychology
- the study of the
mind.
pugn/a,
pung
to fight pugnacious - having
a quarrelsome or
aggressive nature;
repugnant -
distasteful, offensive
or revolting;
pungent - piercing.
pul urge compulsion - a verystrong urge;
expulsion - to
someone out;
impulsive - having a
spontaneous urge to
do something.
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purg clean purge - removeanything
undesirable;
purgatory -
according to Roman
Catholics a place
where souls mustclean themselves of
sin; expurgate -
remove
objectionable
passages from a
publication.
put think computer - anelectronic thinking
device; dispute - to
disagree with what
another person
thinks; input -
contribution of
one's thinking.
pyr/o fire, heat pyrotechnics - theart of making
fireworks;
pyrometer - a
thermometer for
measuring high
temperature;
pyretic - relating to
or producing fever.
quad/r/ri four quadrant - open
space with buildingson 4 sides;
quadrennium -
period of 4 years;
quadruped - a 4-
footed animal.
quart fourth quarter - one fourth;quart - a fourth of a
gallon; quartet - a
musical composition
or group involving 4
voices or
instruments.
quin/t five, fifth quintett - acomposition for 5
voices or
instruments;
quintessence - pure
essence, based on
the ancient
philosophy that
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there was a fifth
element that was
present in all things;
quintuple - fivefold.
radic,
radix
root eradicate - pull out
at the roots; radical
- fundamental,looking at things
from a drastic point
of view; radish - an
edible root of the
mustard family.
radio radiation, ray radioactive -emitting radiation;
radiologist -
someone diagnosing
or treating via
radiation.
ram/ibranch ramification - the
resulting
consequence of a
decision; ramify - to
spread or branch
out; ramus - a
branchlike part.
re again, back, backward rebound -to springback again; rewind -
to wind something
backward; reaction:
a response;
recognize: to
identify someone orsomething seen
before.
reg guide, rule regent - a personwho rules on behalf
of a king or queen;
regime - a
government that
rules; regulate - to
apply a rule.
retro backward, back retroactive - relatingto something in the
past; retrogress - togo back to an earlier
condition;
retrospect - the
remembering of
past events.
rhin/o nose rhinoceros - aspecies of animals
with a big horn on
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the snout;
rhinoplasty - surgery
of the nose;
rhinovirus - viruses
that are causing the
common cold.
rhod/o red rhododendron - aflower with red/pink
flowers; rhodium -
an element which
produces a red
solution; rhodopsin -
a purple pigment in
the retina that is
needed for vision.
rid laugh deride - to make funof someone; ridicule
- to make fun or
mock; ridiculous -
silly, causing
laughter.
rrh/ea
/oea/ag
flow, discharge diarrhea -
abnormally
excessive bowl
movement;
hemorrhage - heavy
blood flow; catarrh -
inflammation of a
mucous membrane,
especially the nose
and throat.
rub red ruby - deep redcolor and a precious
stone of the same
color; rubella -
measles; bilirubin -
reddish pigment in
bile.
rupt break, burst bankrupt - unable topay because you're
"broke"; interrupt -
to break into a
conversation or
event, to disturb;
rupture - a break in
something.
san health sane - mentallyhealthy; sanitary -
relating to
cleanliness and
health; sanitation -
maintenance of
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public health and
cleanliness.
scend climb, go ascend - to climbupward; crescendo -
a climbing up of the
volume of music;
descend - to go orclimb down.
sci know conscience - senseof knowing right
from wrong;
conscious - knowing
what is happening;
omniscient -
knowing everything.
scler/o hard arteriosclerosis -hardening of the
arterial walls;
multiple sclerosis -
disease which
causes the tissue of
the brain and spinal
cord to harden;
sclerometer -
instrument for
measuring hardness.
scop/e/y see, examine, observe microscope - adevice used to see
tiny things;
periscope - a seeing
instrument on a
submarine;telescope - a device
used to see over a
distance.
scrib,
script
write, written inscribe - to write
letters or words on a
surface; scribe - a
person who writes
out documents;
describe - to
represent with
words or pictures.
se apart secede - to formallybreak away from;seclude - to keep
away from; serum -
a liquid isolated out
of another.
sect cut dissect - to cut apartpiece by piece;
intersection - the
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place or point where
two things cross
each other; bisect -
to cut into two
equal parts.
self of, for, or by itself self-discipline - the
ability to disciplineyourself; self-
respect - respect for
yourself; selfish
concerned only with
your own interests.
semi half, partial semiannual - everyhalf year; semicircle
- half a circle;
semiconscious -
partly conscious;
semiannual - every
half of a year.
sept/i seven September - thisused to be the
seventh month in
the Roman
calendar; septet - a
group of seven
musicians;
septuagenarian - a
person in his/her
seventies.
serv save, keep conserve - to save orkeep something
safe; preserve - tosave something;
reservation - a place
kept for a person.
sex six sextet or sextette - acomposition or
group of six,
sextuple - sixfold;
sexagenarian -
person in his/her
sixties.
sol alone desolate - lonely,
dismal, gloomy;solitary - done
alone, by yourself;
solo - a performance
done by one person
alone.
sol sun solar - involving thesun; parasol -
umbrella protecting
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from the sun;
solarium - a room
where one is
exposed to sun light.
somn/I sleep insomnia - inabilityto fall asleep;
somniloquy - talkingin your sleep;
somnolent - feeling
sleepy.
son sound consonant - aspeech sound;
sonorous -
producing loud, full,
rich sounds;
supersonic - faster
than sound; unison -
as one voice.
sophwise philosopher - a wise
person;
sophisticated - wise
about the ways of
the world; sophism -
a clever but
misleading
argument.
spec/t,
spic
see, look circumspect -
cautious, looking all
around;
retrospective - a
looking back at past
things; spectator - aperson who sees an
event.
sphere ball biosphere - thewhole round surface
of the earth;
hemisphere - half
the earth spherically
shaped like a ball.
spir breathe inspire - to stimulateor animate;
transpire - to give of
vapor with wasteproduct through the
skin or a membrane;
spirit - invisible life
force.
sta stand stable - standingsteady and firm;
stagnant - standing
still, not moving;
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stationary - at a
standstill, fixed.
stell star constellation - agroup of stars that
forms a pattern;
interstellar -
between the stars;stellar - relating to
stars.
struct build construct - to build;destruction - the act
of destroying
something that was
built; structure -
something built;
infrastructure -
underlying
framework of a
system.
sub under, lower than,inferior to
submarine - an
underwater boat;
submerge - to put
underwater;
substandard -
inferior to accepted
standards.
sum highest sum - the combinedtotal of everything;
summation - the
total, highest
amount; summit the
highest point or top.super higher in quality
or quantity
Super bowl - the
final annual football
game; superior -
above average,
better in quality;
supersonic - faster
than the speed of
sound.
sy/m
/n/l/s
together, with, same symmetry -similarity
in size, form or
arrangement;
synergy - thecombined effect;
synchronize - to
cause to occur at
the same time.
tact, tang touch contact - a state inwhich two things
touch; tactile -
relating to the sense
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of touch; tangible -
able to be touched;
intact - with nothing
missing.
tax/o arrangement syntax - thesystematic
arrangement ofwords; taxonomy -
the science of
classification; ataxia
- loss of the ability
to coordinate
muscle action.
techno technique, skill technology - thepractical application
of knowledge;
technocracy - rule of
technology;
technologically -
characterized by
technology.
tel/e/o far, distant, complete telephone - a deviceto talk to a distant
person; telescope -
a device to view
distant objects;
television - a device
to receive pictures
from afar;
telecommuting -
working remotely,
bridging thedistance via virtual
devices.
temp/or time contemporary -existing at the same
time; temporal -
relating to time;
temporary - lasting
for a limited time.
term/ina end, limit determine - tofind something
out at the end of
an investigation;terminate - to
end; exterminate -
to destroy or get
rid of completely.
terr/a/i land, earth extraterrestrial -existing outside the
earth; terrain -
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ground or land;
territory - an area of
land.
tetra four tetrapod - having 4legs; tetrarchy -
government by 4
rulers; tetrose - amonosaccharide
with four carbon
atoms.
the/o god monotheism - beliefin one god;
polytheism -
worshiping more
than one god;
theology - the study
of religion, god, etc.
therm/o heat thermal - relating toheat; thermos - an
insulated jar that
keeps heat in;
thermostat - a
device that controls
heat.
tort twist contortion - atwisted shape or
position; distort - to
alter the shape or
condition of; retort -
reply in a manner
that is supposed to
change the effect ofsomething
previously said.
tox poison detoxification - theprocess of removing
poisons; toxic -
poisonous;
toxicology - the
study of poisons;
intoxicated -
influenced by drugs.
tract pull, drag attract - to pull
objects nearer;distract - to drag
attention away from
something; tractor -
a motor vehicle that
pulls things.
trans across,beyond, through transcontinental -across the
continent; transfer -
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to move from one
place to another;
transport - to carry
something across a
space.
tri three, once in every three,
third
triangle - a figure
with 3 sides and 3angles; triathlon - an
athletic contest with
3 events; tricycle - a
3-wheeI vehicle with
pedals.
ultra beyond, extreme, more than ultrahigh -extremely high;
ultramodern - more
modern than
anything else;
ultrasonic - sound
waves beyond
human hearing.
un not,opposite of, lacking unabridged - notshortened; unfair -
opposite of fair;
unfriendly - lacking
friendliness.
uni one, single unicycle - a vehiclewith one wheel;
unilateral - decided
by only one person
or nation; unique -
the only one of its
kind; unison - as onevoice.
urb city suburb - residentialarea on the edge of
a city; urban -
relating to a city;
urbanology - the
study of city life.
vac empty evacuate - to emptya dangerous place;
vacant - empty, not
occupied; vacation -
a time withoutwork.
ven/t come circumvent - to goaround or bypass
restrictions;
convention - a
gathering or
assembly of people
with a common
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interest; intervene -
to come between.
ver/I truth veracious - truthful,honest; veracity -
the truth; verify - to
make sure that
something is true.verb word verbalize - to put
into words; adverb -
a word relating to a
verb; proverb - a
short saying that
expresses a well-
known truth.
vers,
vert
turn reverse - to turn
around; introvert -
being turned
towards the inside;
version - a variation
of an original;
controversy - a
conversation in
which positions are
turned against each
other.
vice acting in place of,next in rank
vice-president - the
person next in rank
to the president
vid See evident clearly seen
vince,
vic
conquer convince - to win
someone over;
invincible - not able
to be conquered;
victory - the
conquest of an
enemy.
vis, vid See vision - the ability tosee; envision - to
picture in the mind;
evident - clearly
visible.
viv/i
vit
live, life revival - the act of
bringing back to life;
vital - pertaining tolive; vivacious - high-
spirited and full of
life.
voc/i voice, call advocate - to speakin favor of;
equivocate - to use
misleading language
that could be
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interpreted two
different ways;
vocalize - to produce
with your voice.
vol/i/u wish, will benevolent -showing good will
and kindness;volition - the act of
making a choice or
decision, voluntary -
resulting from your
own free will.
vor,
vour
Eat carnivorous -
meat-eating;
voracious -
desiring or eating
food in great
quantities; devour
- to eat quickly.xen/o Foreign xenophobic - afraid
of foreigners;
xenogenesis - the
creation of offspring
that is completely
different from either
parent; xenophile -
attracted to
foreigners.
xer/o/I Dry xerophyte - a plantthat grows in dry
climate; xerography- a dry photocopying
process; xeric -
requiring small
amounts of
moisture.
zo/o animal life zoology - study ofanimals; zooid -
resembling an
animal; zooplankton
- minute floating
aquatic animals.
zyg/o pair zygote - a cellformed by the union
of two gametes and
the organism
developing from
that; zygomorphic -
pertaining to
organisms that can
be divided into
symmetrical halves
8/3/2019 Root of Words
43/43
along one axis only.